1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pivotable cervical traction/stretch and neck curve support device which includes a base having an inclined surface for supporting a person's upper body or torso, a platform positioned above the base, structure attached to the base (a) for rotatably mounting the platform to the base, (b) for allowing rotation of the platform about any or all of an X-axis, a Y-axis and a Z-axis and (c) for securing the platform in a desired position. The traction/stretch and neck curve support device further includes a head portion on the platform and a mechanism for moving the head portion upwardly in an inclined direction against the occipital bone of a patient's head received in the head portion.
2. Description of the related art including information disclosed under 37 CFR .sctn..sctn.1.97-1.99.
Heretofore it has been proposed in the Cumberland U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,603 to provide a cervical traction/stretch and neck curve support device comprising a head/neck/shoulder support unit having a vertical slot in the region corresponding to the cervical area. The slot separates the unit into a first section and a second section. The upper surfaces of each of the sections is shaped to receive the head, neck and shoulders of a reclining person. An inflatable air sack is located within the unit between the first and second sections and a hand operated bulb type air pump is provided for pumping up the air sack.
Also in applicant's earlier application, serial number 08/120,602, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein there is disclosed a cervical traction/stretch and neck curve support device comprising a body including a shoulder portion, a head portion and a bellows which extends substantially across the width and height of the body between and connected to the head portion and to the shoulder portion and acting against and between substantially the full inner end surface of the head portion and the full inner end surface of the shoulder portion. The bellows, the shoulder portion and the head portion having aligned U-shaped openings therein adapted to receive a patients neck. A hand operated air pump is provided for pumping air into the bellows and for releasing air from the bellows. The head portion has a head receiving surface including a shoulder with an adjacent occipital cervical pressure or lift surface for engaging a user's head.
The traction/stretch created by the traction/stretch and neck curve support device of the present invention is designed to create an even separation of the anterior and posterior vertebrae versus a jamming in the anterior to create an opening in the posterior of the vertebral column as incurred with prior art traction devices.